Package Guarding Drones for Theft-Risk Relocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing monitoring systems lack effective methods to reduce the risk of theft or damage to packages delivered to properties, particularly in exposed or insecure locations, and fail to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
A monitoring system that uses drones to assess the risk of packages based on environmental and theft factors, determining actions such as relocation or guarding, and selects appropriate drones for tasks based on capabilities and availability, ensuring packages are moved to safer locations and monitored effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If packages are delivered to exposed or insecure locations for easy access, then delivery convenience is improved, but package security and protection from theft or damage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary risk assessment before package delivery by analyzing environmental factors, historical theft data, and location security. Based on this preliminary analysis, the system pre-identifies secure drop-off locations within the property that minimize theft risk while maintaining delivery accessibility, thereby resolving the contradiction between delivery convenience and package security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors package locations and environmental conditions, receiving feedback from sensors, cameras, and external data sources. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustments to package protection strategies, such as triggering alerts, notifying recipients, or dispatching security personnel when risk thresholds are exceeded, thus maintaining package security without compromising delivery convenience.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If packages are moved to protected locations away from camera view, then protection from weather elements is improved, but monitoring capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional camera monitoring to three-dimensional coverage by deploying drones that can fly above structures and access areas not visible to ground-level cameras. This dimensional change enables continuous monitoring of packages stored in protected locations such as garages or under porches, resolving the contradiction between weather protection and monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces drones as intermediary monitoring devices that bridge the gap between protected package locations and central monitoring systems. Drones act as mobile intermediaries that can physically access hard-to-reach areas, capture images and sensor data, and transmit this information back to the monitoring system, thereby maintaining monitoring capability while packages remain in protected locations.
3Reliability
If multiple drones are deployed to scout and guard packages, then package protection is improved, but system complexity and resource requirements deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments package protection tasks into distinct functional roles: scout drones that perform reconnaissance and risk assessment, guard drones that provide active protection and monitoring, and relay drones that coordinate communication. This segmentation allows each drone to be optimized for its specific function and enables parallel operation of multiple drones without proportionally increasing overall system complexity, as each segment operates semi-independently under centralized coordination.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for fetching and guarding delivered packages using robots. One of the methods includes: determining a characteristic of a package at a first location; determining a risk score for the package at the first location; determining, using the risk score and the characteristic of the package, to perform an action for the package; in response to determining to perform the action for the package, assigning a robot to perform the action; and deploying the robot to perform the action.